Kaizer Chiefs' Ethan Chislett.
Image: AFP
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef says they waited more than seven months to hand Ethan Chislett his debut because they wanted to ensure the midfielder could perform at his optimum.
Chislett, who arrived at the club in winter, finally made his first appearance for Amakhosi in the 2-1 defeat at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
While the result upset the team and disgruntled fans – demoralising them ahead of Saturday's Soweto derby against Pirates and dealing a huge blow to their title aspirations – others were impressed with Chislett’s debut.defence-splitting passes and direct shots at goal.
The 27-year-old hardly looked out of place, showing great presence in the final third with his defence-splitting passes and direct shots at goal.
Speaking to the media post-match at the FNB Stadium, Ben Youssef revealed why they took longer to unleash Chislett.
“We waited for seven months so that he could be as good as he was today. We wanted to introduce him at the right moment. He was one of the best players,” Ben Youssef said.
Although Chislett and Lebohang Maboe impressed in the Chiefs engine room, the team was primarily let down by its strikers. Their poor finishing and vulnerability to the offside trap were highlighted, despite Flavio Silvas scoring his seventh goal of the season.
The attack was so disjointed that the introduction of four players simultaneously in the second half – including attackers Wandile Duba, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Mduduzi Shabalala – proved ineffective, a point Ben Youssef conceded.
“Yes, I agree 100%,” Ben Youssef said of the substitutes’ lackluster performance. “When we made the substitutions in the second half, we tried to add value to the team, with players coming from the bench. But they weren’t what we expected of them.
“So, sometimes, we need to criticise ourselves (as the technical team) and analyse what we did wrong, and when we are not good, admit to that and rectify our mistakes.”
*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch